PHYS 125 – Big Science in Twenty-First Century Europe

Four credits; FDR-SC, EXP, Math, CS Distribution
Two weeks on campus, two weeks in Italy and Switzerland
Professor Tom McClain

Though the United States catapulted to the forefront of big science around the middle of the twentieth century, European organizations have nevertheless sponsored some of the biggest science projects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In this course, we will learn about particle physics and gravitational wave astronomy as we travel to two of the premier "Big Science" sites in Europe: the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva and the VIRGO gravitational wave detector in Tuscany. While in Europe, we will also examine the question of how twenty-first-century science is able to thrive in centuries-old European societies. No background in physics or mathematics beyond high school algebra is required.

Program fee (paid to W&L): $4,872
Includes programming, room, some meals (breakfast nearly every day), transportation to the airport from W&L, and most in-country transportation.

Additional costs: airfare, most meals (~2 breakfasts, ~14 lunches and dinners), cell phone, spending money, passport, and visa fees (if applicable).

For further details, please contact Professor McClain (mcclaint@wlu.edu).

The information session for this course will take place on October 6th at 7pm in Science Addition, room G14.

Start New Application OR Resume Application

Applications open October 7th, 2025.